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The Amazing Spider-Man (3DS) Review

Do you like
action-adventure games? Do you like Spider-Man? Do you want a new, fun 3DS
game? Well, if you answered yes to at least one of these questions, The Amazing
Spider-Man for the Nintendo 3DS might be the game for you. Including an
excellent fighting mechanic, immerse story, and tons of extras to collect, The
Amazing Spider-Man might be the game for you. Read my review on The Amazing
Spider-Man for the Nintendo 3DS to find out if this is the game for you.

Story: After reading the description on Nintendo's website
or after trying to figure out what the game is about from other sources, you
might not know what The Amazing Spider-Man is about. Well, The Amazing
Spider-Man starts out with Gwen and Peter Parker, also known as Spider-Man, going
to Oscorp to see what their latest experiments have been, only to find out that
Oscorp has been working on crosspecieses after the Lizard's appearance. Later,
Peter accidentally "awakens" the Scorpion, a crosspecies, which "awakens" the
rest of the crosspecieses. Afterwards, Gwen and the scientists become infected
by the crosspecieses while the whole city of Manhattan is put in danger by both
the crosspecieses and robots, mechanical, spider-like objects that Oscorp has
that attacks anything infected by a crosspecies or is a crosspecies, including
Spider-Man. Spider-Man must then team up
with Dr. Connors, also known as the Lizard, to find an antidote to this
disastrous situation. They must then save the scientists, Gwen, and the people
of Manhattan as Dr. Smythe goes crazy after injecting the first, fraudulent batch
of medicine. He then goes so crazy that he will create a huge robot to "save
Manhattan" when really he destroys Manhattan. In addition to this already
extensive story, The Amazing Spider-Man also includes tons of action,
adventure, and even some romance in between with Peter and Gwen.

Gameplay: Spider-Man is back and better than ever in this
action-packed Spider-Man game. As I explained in the story paragraph, The
Amazing Spider-Man is about Spider-Man needing to defeat the crosspecieses and
defeating Dr. Smythe, who turned evil after getting infected by the dud
medicine. On Spider-Man's mission to save Manhattan and possibly the world,
Spidey must punch, kick, sling, and shoot his enemies (with webs, of course).
Let's get started, shall we? Spider-Man must crawl through a variety of areas
to complete whatever he needs to do there. With the help of web rush mode, he
can easily use his spider-like abilities to shoot his enemies with webs, attack
his enemies, get to an area quickly, or even use stealth. Speaking of web rush
mode, you can do four different things using it: attack enemies, use stealth,
interact with objects, or do an offensive action. For your convenience, each
one of these actions are color-coded. Attacking enemies is yellow, using
stealth is purple, interacting with objects is light-blue, and doing an
offensive action is red. Attacking enemies is where you use web rush mode to
sling over to an enemy and start beating him up while you use stealth to defeat
enemies while being unnoticed. Stealth means that Spider-Man will either web
them to the ground or web them to the ceiling, depending on if you have
upgraded stealth or not. Interacting with objects, along with attacking
enemies, doesn't require web rush mode but is optional. This is where you use
objects that help you. For example, you can interact with a ventilation duct so
you can enter the vents. On the other hand, doing an offensive action requires
web rush mode. This is where you do something to an object, like throwing it,
to hurt enemies. For example, you can take a vending machine and throw it at
enemies. To make things work smoother in web rush mode, time will slow down
when it is activated. This gives you enough time to do what you need to do. If
you need more time, you can easily upgrade web rush mode to make it longer. While
helpful, web rush mode can be a huge pain. Sometimes, the cursor becomes
stubborn and just stays where it wants to rather than going to where you want
it to. Also, sometimes, you can't find the cursor you need to connect to.

In addition to
using web rush mode, you are also able to collect items that can increase the
amount of XP, unlock extras, or just help you beat the game 100%. Luckily, you
won't be collecting web power-ups that give you more web power because you have
an unlimited amount of webs. Yeah, that's right. You have an unlimited amount
of webs. Sadly, you can't use it in free-flight as that is only available in
the XBOX 360 and PlayStation 3 version of The Amazing Spider-Man. Along with
items, you are also able to unlock different suits except they aren't available
by picking them up. The suits are the normal suit, classic suit, and the black
suit. They don't affect your gameplay but they can be nice to wear.

Each and every
one of the places you play at are very well-detailed with little details here
and there that improve the environments. These little details make the environments
look realistic. For example, when you verse the giant spider robot in the park,
the park looks very real. You may also use the environment to your advantage
when defeating enemies. Speaking of enemies, there are a variety of enemies,
ranging from simple gunmen, to people with knives, and even people who have
been infected and are now evil. These enemies add more "flavor" to the game and
makes the game more difficult than you might have thought it was although it is
pretty easy after you get used to the controls.

Want to be a
vigilante? Then come on down to Vigilante Mode, but, if you do come down, then
don't expect much. Vigilante Mode might sound fun, but it really isn't. I was
expecting that you have to fight bad guys and progress, making the levels
harder. Well, I was completely wrong. Instead, you are thrown scenarios in
which you have to answer with what you would do if you were the super hero. If
you win, you move on. If you don't, then do it again. Another thing in it that
is a good addition to this strategy-like mode is AP and VP. You will need AP to
be able to answer the scenarios while you collect VP from scenarios you
answered correctly. You will need VP to level up and make your AP bar contain
more AP. There are many scenarios ranging from a variety of problems for you to
solve. You even hop around from town-to-town to answer scenarios and even get
supplies to answer them correctly. In addition, you can use play coins to buy
AP for you to use, which is a nice addition to this dull mode. You will also
get bonuses if you visit this mode daily, but that might not last long with
many people. Sadly, Vigilante Mode isn't something that I enjoy playing, and I
find it to be a bit dull. In my opinion, it would've been better if it was made
for you to beat up more criminals, but this does work. It doesn't provide much
for you to enjoy, but it works.

Graphics: While I
do love beating up bad guys in glasses-free 3D, Spider-Man and the people still
have a little bit more to learn when it comes to appearances. First of all,
Spider-Man's suits don't look very appealing. I do like his new suit, but I do
miss his old suit. There is the option to play with his old suit (if you unlock
it), but, surprisingly, Activision decided to make it look dusty and ugly. You
can also play using the black suit, which is a very nice-looking suit. The
people do look very good in 3D, but they could use a little bit more work in
the polishing sector. That's the same thing with the enemies except they need
more work altogether. This doesn't affect everybody (like the Lizard), but,
some enemies, like the Rhino, could use a more three-dimensional look. Their
faces look flat while their costumes kind of look fake with a dash of flatness.
Otherwise, the setting and environments look great! The buildings look
realistic while the environment looks appealing. Even the objects that you
interact with (excluding people and enemies) look flabbergasting! When it comes
to graphics, The Amazing Spider-Man impresses in the settings department while
it is weak in the human/crosspecies department.

Sound/Music: As you might have expected, The Amazing
Spider-Man delivers some pretty good soundtracks that fit the game very nicely.
The sounds that blast out of the speakers fit the situations and do sound
realistic to the predicament. For example, if an alarm is sounding because
Spider-Man was found or something, the alarm would sound like an actual alarm
that you would hear. Even little sounds are nice to hear and sound realistic.
In the music department, you will be hearing some tunes that fit in the
situation. For example, if you are in stealth mode and you're about to catch somebody,
the music will play a quiet, eerie tune that fits the situation. When it comes
to music and sounds in The Amazing Spider-Man, that is one of the few things
that it really excels in.

Voice Acting: Just
as a traditional Spider-Man game, The Amazing Spider-Man includes voice acting.
The voice acting is both good and bad in this game. On the good side, the voice
acting makes the game more realistic. It seems so real to have a robber consult
his co-worker about Spider-Man as you beat up his buddies. In addition,
conversations are even better with it because, as I said, it is as if somebody
is really having a conversation near or with you. On the other hand, as the
ESRB reported, people do cuss in this game. Yes, this does make the
conversations even more real, but, for the younger audience, this isn't a good
thing. Luckily, once the word comes out, it doesn't come out again. In all, the
voice acting is excellent, whether or not the characters cuss. It helps make
the game a lot better than a game without voice acting.

Controls: While
complicated, The Amazing Spider-Man's controls are very effective and fun to
use. In the beginning of the game, you won't be doing so well when considering
the fact that the game throws a ton of buttons that do different things right
at you, but you will be able to settle in quickly. According to The Amazing
Spider-Man's manual, you will be using A to shoot webs, B to jump or web swing
(if you hold B you web sling), X to use web rush, Y to attack, L/R to turn the
camera, and L+R to center the camera (if you tap the buttons) or to use
gyroscope mode (if you hold the buttons). Along with these physical buttons are
the "retreat" and "dodge" buttons, which you tap the button on the touch screen
to use. Retreat allows you to retreat to a place where the enemy can't hit you
(No, it doesn't exit you from the game.) while dodge allows you to dodge an
enemy's attack. You may also use a signature move by clicking A after a certain
amount of hits. The controls are very solid and respond to what you say, but,
surprisingly, performing a signature move is the only one that doesn't respond
at the first tap. Unlike with the other buttons, I have to click the A button
more than once for a signature move to start, and, usually, it doesn't start
and Spider-Man just shoots webs. Anyways, The Amazing Spider-Man features some
fun-to-use controls that are easy to master if you listen to the on-screen
instructions along with what you think would be the best for beating up the
enemies. The controls respond to what you tell it in a flash except for using a
signature move, which is a minor setback.

Saving: Many games nowadays pick one of two
ways to save your progress in a video game: you have to manually save your game
or the game automatically saves. Luckily, The Amazing Spider-Man is one of
those games, but, in The Amazing Spider-Man, the game automatically saves and
it does it very frequently. Before you start playing, the game shows you a
symbol of a circle. It also tells you that, whenever you see that circle, the
game will be saving your game. The Amazing Spider-Man does a pretty good job of
it too. If you die in the level, it will make you start over from your last
save. Also, if you turn off the 3DS while you're playing a chapter, the next
time you play, it will return you to the last spot that it saved at in the
chapter, which is a very nice addition. If you get The Amazing Spider-Man, then
expect saving to surpass the expected performance.

Replayability: Sadly,
the fun with Spidey dies right after you beat the game, leaving you with not
much to make you want to play again. First of all, it took me about 8 hours to
beat this game, so I would suspect this game to take you 8-13 hours to beat.
After you beat the game, you won't really want to beat up any more villains.
Well, you will want to, but it just isn't as fun when you're stuck with playing
chapters in the adventure all over again. Sure, you get two extra chapters
after you beat the game, but those chapters don't take very long to beat. In
addition to beating up criminals, you can also do Vigilante Mode. Honestly,
that mode really isn't fun, so you aren't going to really want to play with it.
You can also try and collect all of the collectibles, but that really isn't
enjoyable after beating the story. When it comes to replayability, you should
not expect much from The Amazing Spider-Man. This is one of those games where
you play it, finish it, and ditch it. If you want a replayable game, you won't
be expecting one here.

Replayability: Low

Bugs?: Believe it
or not, The Amazing Spider-Man does have a few bugs crawling around and messing
with Spider-Man. First and foremost, yes, the game does freeze sometimes.
Imagine yourself beating up an enemy, and, when you use your signature move to
web them to the floor, they just freeze, don't get webbed to the floor, and
just stand there while making a pose. Well, this is what you should expect to
see. This doesn't always happen when you do that very same thing. This freezing
can be very annoying as it is not only the enemies that freeze but Spider-Man
freezes as well. One time, I was playing and I was about to enter a ventilation
duct when all of a sudden Spider-Man froze. Afterwards, I couldn't do anything,
so I was forced to return to my apartment. That's not the only bug found in
this game. Also, when you go to the bank to stop Felicia (That is the level
that you play at in the demo available on the Nintendo eShop.), when Felicia
talks after you beat her, most of what she says doesn't come out, causing whatever
you hear to not even make sense. This doesn't happen in the demo, so why is it
happening in the actual game? The third bug I have experienced in this game is
that, sometimes, when Spider-Man is performing a signature move, he attacks
nothing. Sure, it still hurts and affects the enemy you're attacking, but the
game shouldn't do that. This happens quite a few times, and I don't remember
this happening in the demo (I used all 10 of my uses with that demo.), which is
not good. The fourth and final bug I have experienced with Spider-Man has to do
with his signature moves. When I beat up enemies and the screen tells me to
click A to use a signature move, it doesn't always respond from the first time.
If I keep clicking A, Spider-Man will eventually stop beating him up and start
using his web shots, meaning he will start shooting webs from his hands. It
does respond sometimes while it doesn't at other times. In order to do it if
this is the case, I have to keep alternating between Y and A, but I shouldn't
have to do this. I should be able to click the A button from the first time for
it to work.

The Conclusion: Swing
on over to your local retailer to pick up a copy of The Amazing Spider-Man if
you want a fun game but don't mind a short story and a few bugs. The game
itself is just so fun to play, but, with the story being about 8 hours long,
you aren't going to be getting something that lasts long or is very replayable.
It might be better to wait for a price drop because of the amount of gameplay,
but, for $29.99, this is a pretty good game that I enjoyed. I recommend picking
this game up if you don't mind a short amount of gameplay and if you want a lot
of fun, but, if you don't want to pay $29.99 for a game that has a story that
lasts merely 8 hours, it might be better for you to wait for a price drop.